§ MR. CLYNES (Manchester, N.E.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been drawn to the statements of the chairman at the Clerkenwell Sessions that every year about 500 men and women were dealt with at these sessions who were guilty of no definite offence, but were people who loafed about the streets, could not or would not work, and were people on whom existing prison treatment had no good effect; and whether in view of the cost to the country generally from this treatment, his Department can recommend more beneficial and reformative methods of treatment which would include assured and useful forms of work for the class referred to.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. GLADSTONE, Leeds, W.)This matter was fully considered by the Inter-Departmental Committee on Vagrancy, to whose Report I must refer the hon. Member. It involves large and important questions which require, and are receiving, the careful consideration of the Departments concerned. I quite agree that it is desirable if possible to find a better way of dealing with this class of cases.